Doomed to Obscurity, Part II
by ilcantodelvento
Summary: The story of Braska, Jecht, and Auron's pilgrimage through Spira; sequel to Doomed to Obscurity, Part I, and following Doomed to Obscurity, Interlude the First.
1. Chapter 1

"Ugh, back in here again," a deep voice, which I assumed belonged to the uncooperative prisoner, sighed. "What's wrong with a man taking a walk every now and then, hm?"

_Braska,_ I thought. _You had better know what you are doing…_

I heard all the warrior monks kneel and bow to Lord Braska as he entered the room.

"Who are you?" asked the captive.

"You are the one they call Jecht, the man from Zanarkand, are you not?" Braska inquired.

"What of it?" he replied.

I burst into the room. "Watch your tongue, knave!"

Braska shot me a sort of "let-me-handle-this" look, then turned back to Jecht. "Ah, my apologies. I am Braska, a summoner. I've come to take you from this place."

Jecht stood up from the rotting wooden bench within the cell. "Hmm. Sounds sweet. What's the catch?"

Braska chuckled. "That easy to see, was it? I soon leave on a pilgrimage… to Zanarkand."

Jecht looked excited. "Seriously?"

Braska nodded. "Mm. I would like you to join us. It will be a dangerous trip. Yet, if we do reach Zanarkand… my prayers will be answered, and you will be able to go home, we think. What say you?"

"Great! Let's go!" Jecht shouted.

"Hm. So quick?"

"Tch, anything to get outta here!"

"Then it's settled," Braska declared.

"But I must protest!" I exclaimed. "This _drunkard,_ a _guardian?_"

"Hey! You wanna step in here and say that?" Jecht threatened. I shot Braska a reluctant look.

"What does it matter? No one truly believes that I, a fallen summoner wed to an Al Bhed, could _possibly_ defeat Sin. This is what they say. No one expects us to succeed."

"Braska—sir…" I tried again.

"Let's show them they're wrong," he said, determination building in his voice. "A fallen summoner, a man from Zanarkand, and a warrior monk, doomed to obscurity for refusing the hand of the priest's daughter. What delightful irony it would be if we defeated Sin!"

"Stop gabbin' and get me outta here!" Jecht yelled.

I sighed, in no way attempting to disguise my disapproval as Braska nodded to the closest guard. He also shot him a wary look, but unlocked the cell anyway.

Jecht stepped out and rubbed his wrists. "Ahh, free at last!"

"Now, Jecht," Braska said, more seriously. "I am in your hands until we reach Zanarkand."

"Right, right," he nodded, seeming to be only half-listening. "So, what's a summer-ner, anyway?"

I sighed again, in annoyance this time, as we left the room containing the cells, Braska attempting to explain a summoner's duty to Jecht.

"Hey, Auron!" I heard just before we left the temple. I turned around to see Kinoc running toward me. "Auron, can we talk for a moment?"

I looked back at Braska, who nodded. I turned back to Kinoc. "Yes," I said.

"Come, to our headquarters," he said, signaling me to follow him.

I threw one more glance back at Braska and Jecht, who were still conversing by the doors, before I took off after Kinoc. He led me to an area out behind the temple.

"So, I hear you are to leave?" he asked.

"Mm," I nodded. "Thanks for everything, Kinoc."

"I know I don't need to tell you this, but guard Lord Braska well."

"That I will," I assured him. "And you'll be busy, too. I heard they made you second in command."

Kinoc sighed. "You know that promotion was meant for you. You were always the better one, even until the end."

I snorted. "You make it sound as if I was going to die or something. I _will_ see you again."

"Yes."

"Well, then…"

"Going already?"

I nodded.

He returned with a nod of his own. "You will tell me about Zanarkand when you return, won't you?"

"Mm." I nodded again. "Farewell."

I left him standing there and found my way back to Braska and Jecht.

"I think I get it now…" Jecht said. "So, we're going on a trip, then?"

I shot Braska an inquiring look.

"It was the best way I could explain it," he said with a shrug. "Let us be off, then."

"Hey, can't we wait a day or so?" Jecht begged. "Lemme get the prison smell offa myself, or at _least_ take a nap in a decent bed?"

I sighed. "Lord Braska, we really _should_ get a move on."

"I think we can stay one more night," he said. "We'll all go back to my house. And tomorrow, he can freshen up… maybe meet Yuna."

"As you wish," I said, nodding.

With that, we proceeded back to Braska's home and all rested for the night.

:::

The following morning, we paid Braska's surprised sister a visit.

"Father!" Yuna said, running to him and hugging him. "I thought you said you were leaving!"

"I am, Yuna," he said. "Just not until tonight. I wanted you to meet the man who's coming with Auron and me. Jecht!" he called over his shoulder. "Come here, please."

"Eh?" Jecht said, walking over to Braska. "What is it?"

"Wow," Yuna said, looking up at him. "You have a very big picture on your chest."

"Yeah, guess I do," Jecht said, shrugging.

"What's it of?" she asked.

"_That,_" Jecht replied, "is the symbol of the best blitzball team in Zanarkand, the Zanarkand Abes!"

"Really?" Yuna gasped.

"You betcha," Jecht nodded. "And _I'm_ their star player!"

"Star player," I echoed in sarcastic disbelief. "I don't believe the star player of any team would get so drunk as to have himself thrown in prison. I'll believe it when I see it."

"You wanna see it, Auron?" he said. "Fine. Anyone got a blitzball around here?"

Yuna picked up a blitzball that happened to by lying on the ground and threw it to Jecht.

"Well thank you, little lady," he said, giving her a little bow. She smiled and folded her hands in front of her, a slight blush creeping over her already rosy cheeks.

"Come on, outside," he said. Braska and I exchanged a look, and we all followed him out into the street.

"Could any run-of-the-mill blitzer do _this?_" he asked. He kicked the ball against the house, kicked it as it came back, bopped it with his head, then hit it once more. The blitzball then soared up into the air, and he jumped up after it. He spun around rapidly, to the point where we could hear the sound of air rushing over his body, and then kicked it far off into the distance.

"WOW!" Yuna exclaimed. "Sir Jecht, that was amazing!"

"Thank you, little lady," he said, smirking triumphantly. "I call it, 'The Sublimely Magnificent Jecht Shot Mark III.' Catchy title, ain't it?"

"Sir Jecht?" Braska asked, looking over at him.

"Yeah?"

"Would you entertain us all with a story or two about Zanarkand?"

"Of course!" he replied, sitting down. "Gather 'round and listen good, 'cause I ain't repeatin' this. Zanarkand is a city that never sleeps, full of lights, games, and every sound you could imagine…"


	2. Chapter 2

That night, we left the city of Bevelle. We walked through the city to the temple, then started down the path leading to its front doors toward Macalania Woods, the streets around us completely bare.

"Well, lookie here!" Jecht said, grabbing something out of the pack.

"Hey!" I scolded.

"What is this thing?" he asked, shaking it around a little.

"Careful with that!" I snapped.

Braska just laughed. "It's called a spherecam. We use them to record videos, memories, which are stored in spheres that we can play back."

"Sweet," he said, looking at it. "This the on button?" He ran ahead of us and pushed the button, walking backwards with the camera focused on us.

I sighed. "What are you taking?"

"Well, you said it was gonna be a long trip," he replied, checking behind him to make sure he would not trip over an unseen obstacle. "We'll be seeing a lot of neat things, right? So I thought I'd record it all in this. To show to my wife and kid, you know."

"This is no pleasure cruise!" I snapped.

"Hey, Braska," he continued, focusing the camera on him and paying me little attention. "Ain't this supposed to be a grand occasion? Where're the cheering fans, the crying women?"

Braska stopped walking, as did Jecht and I. "This is it," he explained. "Too many goodbyes—people think twice about leaving."

"Hmm… if you say so," Jecht shrugged. "Well, it better be a lot more colorful when we come back. A parade for Braska, vanquisher of Sin!"

Braska chuckled. "We should go. Day will break soon."

Jecht finally shut off the spherecam, and we continued into Macalania Woods, passing all the way through it to emerge on the side leading to the snowy Macalania Temple.

"Weather's a lot nicer than when I was here last," I noted as we looked around, the sunlight now quite strong and making the snow sparkle.

"I imagine it is," Braska nodded. "Was the last time you were here—?"

"Yes," I confirmed.

"Ah," Braska nodded.

We went on to Macalania Temple, where Braska obtained the aeon. We did not talk very much, until Jecht broke the silence on the way back to the woods.

"Hey, Braska, you wanna film this?" Jecht asked, handing the spherecam to Braska. "You know, so you can get Auron and me in the same shot?"

"Sure," Braska chuckled. Jecht ran over to the Travel Agency's sign, sporting "Lake Macalania" in fancy script.

"Come on, Auron, don't be a buzz kill," he called, beckoning to me to come stand under the sign with him. I rolled my eyes and walked briskly to him, facing Braska and the spherecam.

"All right, ready?" Braska asked. He turned the camera on and focused it on us. "Auron, could you stand closer to him?"

I sighed deeply, finally stepping closer to Jecht, my back to the camera.

_What a trivial waste of time,_ I thought.

"Good," Braska called again. "That should do it."

Jecht chuckled. "What's the matter? Afraid I might bite?"

"Jecht…" I muttered.

"Braska!" Jecht yelled. "You should take one, too. It'd make a great gift for little Yuna!"

"I suppose," Braska said from behind me.

"Lord Braska," I said, turning around. "We shouldn't be wasting our time like this!"

"What's the hurry, man?" Jecht asked, casually walking away.

"Let me tell you what the hurry is!" I said, storming after him.

"Auron!" Braska called. I heard him turn off the spherecam, and was then unafraid to unleash my full wrath on Jecht.

"You want to know so badly what the hurry is? Fine," I began, my voice seeming to increase in volume with every word. "You talked of your wife and child. You are not the only one who had those luxuries, you know! Braska, you know he has a daughter, Yuna, at home. Well, the entire reason he became a summoner is because his wife—Yuna's mother—_died_ when Sin attacked the ferry she was riding."

"Auron, cool down," Jecht said, his voice a little more serious. "I didn't—"

"And you know why _I'm_ his guardian, why _I_ want so much to hurry?" I continued. "I used to have a wife and child, too. My daughter died when Sin attacked the Travel Agency we were staying at. Do you know how old she was? Ten days!" I yelled. "_Barely._ Ten days old, and robbed of her _life!_ After that, my wife and I resolved to defeat Sin, but her health declined, and she…" my voice softened a little. "She died, on Gagazet. She told me to defeat Sin, for her, for our daughter, that she knew I could… and I'll be damned if I let her down now."

"Auron, I had no idea," Jecht said. "Look, I'm sorry."

I contemplated saying something, but I could not find the words to express my feelings, so I just walked away.

"You must forgive him," Braska said. "He can get a tad… touchy when it comes to what he lost."

"Understandable," Jecht said. "You better go talk to him, Braska."

"I think I should," Braska agreed. I heard his footsteps in the snow as he walked up behind me and put his hand on my back. "Are you all right, Auron?"

"I just wish he'd have a little more respect for the sacrifices we've made, the torture we've gone through, the reason we're out here at all," I said, my tone still tainted with anger. "Because the way he's acting right now, I might end up taking a swing at him before the day is done."

"Auron," Braska said. "He is truly sorry, I know he is. Now, can we just get on with the pilgrimage?"

I nodded. "I'm sorry too. I shall try to control my temper in the future."

"Good."

We entered the woods again, but this time, I stopped to look into the place where Alex and I had spent our first night together, beneath that tree. A number of vines and plant life once again blocked the entrance, and I had to pull out my sword to hack it all away.

Jecht turned back to look at me. "Hm? Somethin' here?"

"Yes," I grunted, taking one final swing at it and clearing the rest of it away.

"Well, lemme see this th—" Jecht began.

Braska put a hand on his shoulder. "No," he said, shaking his head. "We should let Auron have a moment alone."

I looked at Braska, attempting to communicate a "thank you," which he seemed to understand, before I walked back into our little seclusion of the woods.

The memories all came flooding back to me as I looked around the grove, and I again ran my fingers over Alex's necklace. As if the water could sense I was there, a faint image of Alex and me, kissing each other and shedding our overcoats on that first night illuminated in front of me. I felt tears once again sting my eyes, but I blinked them back.

"I wish you were here…" I whispered as the image became her, alone. She was looking at me and smiling, her chocolate eyes as alive as ever. "I miss you so much."

I touched the sphere, which, after all these years, was still stored in a pocket in the lining of my cloak. "I love you, Alex."

"Hey," Jecht said, walking into the circular seclusion behind me. "This was your wife?"

"Yes," I nodded.

"She's pretty cute."

"Watch it," I warned, even though my tone was not as sharp as before. "That's _my_ wife you're talking about." I looked her over again and felt a smile overcome my lips. "But I know."

"Auron," Jecht said. I looked over to him and saw he was holding the spherecam. "You think I could borrow this place for a sec? I just… I gotta do a thing."

"Sure," I shrugged. I looked back at Alex, and blew her a kiss.

"Bye," I said softly as I walked out of the grove. I lingered by the entrance, just to see what exactly it was that Jecht had to do.

He turned the spherecam on and sat down, facing it.

"Hey," he began. "If you're sitting there, watching this, it means you're stuck in Spira, like me. You might not know when you'll get back home, but you better not be crying! Although I guess I'd understand. But you know what? There's a time when you have to stop crying and move on. You'll be fine. Remember, you're my son. And… well, uh… never mind, I'm no good at these things." He turned off the spherecam and picked it up. He then turned around and looked at the tree, a strangely thoughtful expression on his face, before raising the spherecam again and turning it on.

"Anyways," he continued softly. "I believe in you. Be good…" It seemed as if a tear slipped down his cheek. "Goodbye." He turned off the spherecam once more, shook his head, wiped off his face, and exited the grove.

"Just wanted to… to send my son a message," he said. "Just in case, you know?"

"Mm," I nodded. "Understandable."

"Well," Jecht went on, his tone a little more casual. "Let's get a move on then!"

"Mm," Braska nodded. "To the Gandof Thunder Plains."

When we left the woods, Jecht stared at the lightning rod towers, and the bolts of lightning that were missing them completely.

"Whoa whoa whoa," he said, stopping. "You mean we gotta get across this thing?"

"Yes," I nodded.

"Without anything to protect us other than those shoddy lightning towers?"

"All the more reason to cross quickly," Braska said. "We do not want to get struck by lightning."

"Eh, it's just a bunch of electricity," Jecht said. "I'm a star blitzer! I'm tough!" He flexed his muscles as if to prove his point. Braska and I exchanged looks bemused looks. "I can take a little electricity. Let's go."

Jecht began to march confidently into the Thunder Plains, and Braska and I, after sharing a quiet chuckle, followed.

When we reached the second lightning tower, Jecht once again pulled out the spherecam, tossing it this time to me.

"Hey, Auron!" he said. "Why don't _you_ take it this time? I want Braska in some of these shots."

I sighed as Braska and Jecht posed by the tower. I moved the camera around, looking up at the sky and the towers.

"Hey!" Jecht called. "Hold it steady!"

"Why am I doing this?" I asked, recording them for a moment before turning it off.

"Hey, what're you doing?" Jecht asked as Braska wandered away slightly, seemingly lost in thought. "Keep recording!"

"As you wish," I said, walking toward Braska and focusing the camera on him, Jecht barely in the shot. "What do you see there, my lord?"

"Oh," he said. "I was just… thinking."

"This is important! No foolin' around!" Jecht called. I rolled my eyes and panned slightly left, cutting him out of the shot completely. "You're gonna spoil it!" he continued.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, there was a flash of light as lightning struck, close by.

"Whoa!" Jecht yelled. I turned the camera back on him, seeing him standing lying on the ground, a little dazed. Braska and I walked over to him, and I made sure to film every second of Jecht's vulnerability.

"Are you all right?" Braska asked as Jecht sat up.

"Now _there's_ a scene for posterity!" I said, smiling.

"Yeah, yeah," Jecht said quietly, his embarrassment showing through his tone.

Braska and I laughed as I switched off the spherecam.

"So, you can handle a little electricity, can you?" I laughed.

"You shut up," he grumbled, standing up and shaking himself off. "Let's just get across these stupid plains, okay?"

"Okay," Braska said, attempting to stifle his laughter.

We did not get very far before we were ambushed by fiends called Larvae. They hit us each with lightning spells.

"What the heck are those things?" Jecht asked.

"Those are fiends," Braska explained. "They inhabit Spira. You better get used to them."

"How are we supposed to get rid of 'em?"

"We fight!" I replied, drawing my sword and tossing Braska his summoning staff.

"Hey, what about _me?_" Jecht whined.

"I brought something," Braska said. "Auron, check the pack."

I found a sword—red with white binding that looped back a little at the end—and tossed it to Jecht.

"I hope you know how to use it," I muttered.

"Well, let's take this baby for a test spin, then!" Jecht exclaimed, taking a swing at one of the Larvae. He hit it, but not strong enough to kill it. "Hey, what the heck?"

"Let me help you," Braska said, casting Watera on it to finish it off.

"Thanks, but I coulda handled it," Jecht said, shrugging.

The remaining Larva struck him with an even more powerful lightning spell.

"Why you little… I oughta… Auron, kill that thing, darn it!"

I laughed as I easily defeated the fiend.

"You've got a bit of a problem with lightning, don't you, Jecht?" I asked as we walked on through the Thunder Plains.

"Yeah, yeah," he mumbled.

We followed the Plains all the way back to Guadosalam, where we restocked our item supply and stopped to rest for the night.

"Ah," I sighed. "Sharing a room. This seems so familiar."

"What," Jecht said. "You been on a trip like this before?"

"Yes," I nodded. "It was how I met my wife."

"Huh," Jecht grunted. "So the hot chick from Macarena Woods or whatever it was—"

"_Macalania_ Woods," I corrected. "My _wife_ in Macalania Woods."

"Sorry. Well, she was a summoner?"

"She was," I nodded.

"You were talkin' to her, not just to yourself?"

"You spoke to her?" Braska inquired.

"Well, not really," I said. "It was just her image, saved there by the waters."

"Ah," Braska said, nodding. "I was curious…"

"It is fine," I assured him. "It just made me all the more eager to defeat Sin."

"Hey, so," Jecht began. "What's this 'Sin' thingy, anyway? You both mentioned it a bunch of times, but I still don't know what it is."

I looked at him, both my voice and expression softer. "You really do come from a world without Sin, don't you?"

"Yeah," Jecht replied. "No Sin or anything. Nope, nothin' but blitzball, lights, and fun!"

"A world… without Sin…" I said thoughtfully. "How I envy you, Jecht. To not know the pain and suffering Sin brings…" I touched the necklace. "I envy you."

"So, I guess Sin must be pretty bad, huh?" Jecht said soberly.

"Indeed," Braska replied. "Sin is the reason that summoners like me, like Auron's wife, exist. We make it our duty to bring peace to Spira… if only for a time."

"What's that mean?" Jecht asked.

We filled him in on everything there was to tell about Sin, and by the time he was fairly certain he understood, it was very late.

"We should get some sleep," I said.

"Auron is right," Braska nodded. "Tomorrow, we cross the Moonflow, and then it's on to the Mi'ihen Highroad and Djosé Temple."

"The Mi'ihen Highroad…" I muttered.

"You say somethin' Auron?" Jecht asked.

"No," I replied. "Just get to sleep."


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Braska and I awoke alone in our room. We looked all over the Inn for Jecht before scouring the remainder of Guadosalam.

I popped inside the local restaurant, where I found Jecht slumped over at the bar, mumbling incoherently and drooling all over the counter and himself.

"Braska!" I yelled. "I found him!"

Braska wrapped up his inquiry of the Guado he was talking to and dashed over to me. I shook my head and pointed to the counter.

"Jecht…" Braska muttered, leading the way.

"Jecht, wake up," I commanded, elbowing him. "Wake up, you imbecile!"

"Wha—?" he asked as he looked around, confused. "Huh?"

"It's morning," I snarled. "It is time to go."

Braska looked at the barkeeper. "How long has he been like this?"

"Passed out? A few hours," he replied. "He should be ready to go, but he'll have a hangover mighty strong after the drinkin' _he_ did last night."

"Why would he _do_ that?" Braska asked no one in particular, helping Jecht to his feet.

"I'll never get home," Jecht replied. "If it was you, _you'd_ be drinkin', too."

"Actually, I'm fairly certain he _wouldn't,_" I snapped, helping support Jecht on the other side. "Let's go."

"You're gonna make me travel? Like _this?_"

"Lord Braska's pilgrimage will not, I repeat, will _not_ be interfered with just because you decided to go get drunk out of your head!" I yelled.

"Hey, Auron, watch the volume," Jecht whispered. "I got this splitting headache…"

"You should have taken that into consideration _last night,_" I scolded loudly. "You know, _before_ you got wasted."

"Mmmmmrph…" Jecht groaned as we helped him stumble out of the restaurant.

"We still have the room for another hour or so," Braska said. "You could lie down for a little while, Jecht."

"Nah, the kill joy is right," Jecht said. "We better go."

"Maybe you should start listening to the kill joy a little more often," I mumbled as we left Guadosalam and began to walk down the path toward the north bank of the Moonflow.

"Why do those birds have to sing so damn loud?" Jecht complained as he stumbled along. "My head…"

"Watch your mouth!" I reprimanded. "That is no way to speak around Lord Braska!"

"It's the way I talk," Jecht said. "You don't like it, you deal with it."

"Auron, stop being so hard on him," Braska said softly, minding Jecht's headache.

"If no one is, he'll never _change,_ and we'll have to deal with _THIS_ for the rest of the pilgrimage," I explained. "I'm sure you want that even less than I do."

"Well, yes, but—"

I sighed. "Let's just get to the Moonflow."

We pulled Jecht along, and finally reached the Moonflow's north bank. As we waited for the Hypello driver to prepare the shoopuf, Jecht fell asleep, snoring loudly on the steps leading up to the lift.

"Let's do this," I said, looking at Braska. He nodded, and together, we dragged Jecht onto the lift, and signified to the driver that we were ready to go up.

The Hypello nodded, and before we knew it, we were headed across the Moonflow on the back of the shoopuf.

I looked down at the water, namely the moonlillies, and sighed.

"Are you all right, Auron?"

"Yes," I nodded. "It's just… this is where Alex and I first kissed, you know?"

"Mm," Braska nodded. "I remember the place Mara and I first divulged our feelings for each other, as well. It was off on Bikanel Island, just a day or so after we met."

"Sounds nice," I said absentmindedly, staring at the slowly approaching south bank, and the exact spot that Alex and I had gone for a midnight swim that night, so long ago.

"Mmmrgh," Jecht said in his sleep, drawing both Braska's and my attention. "Hey, pass it here! Pass the ball!" He rolled over. "Come on, how am I gonna impress my wife and kid if you don't pass it?"

I chuckled. "When he's not drunk, he can be an okay travelling companion."

"He can," Braska agreed. "Auron, what are we going to do with him?"

"I don't know," I said, shaking my head. "Why did you want to bring him along, anyway, Lord Braska?"

"He seemed intriguing," Braska replied. "A man from Zanarkand? A world without Sin? I figured… I don't know. I thought that maybe he could tell us some stories of this world without Sin, this amazing place that would only be possible in a dream."

"Well, he's done _that_ already," I pointed out. "Now, he's just slowing us down."

"I believe he can change," Braska said. "I really do. Besides, you must admit: this drunken sleep-mumbling is fairly amusing."

I nodded. "Well, I agree with you on that much, Braska."

We completed our crossing of the Moonflow, waking Jecht up again just before we had to get onto the lift. He followed us onto it groggily, then dragged his feet as he got off it. He blinked a few times and looked around, his gaze finally focusing on the shoopuf.

"That is one huge fiend," he said, pulling out his blade and readying it. "Hey, Auron, watch this!"

"JECHT, NO!" Braska and I yelled in unison as Jecht brought his blade down on the shoopuf. It reared back and cried out in pain, deep red blood oozing from its wound. It crashed back to the ground, nearly crushing both Jecht and the shoopuf driver, and then began to run around the south bank, water spraying everywhere as people ran every which way, fearing for their lives.

"Ebullibody, look outch!" the driver yelled. "I will try to calm itsch down!"

"You heard him, let's go!" Braska said as we all dashed away, to an area just outside the south bank.

Jecht had a look of shock on his face as he sat down, facing away from me, more toward some nearby brush.

"Hey!" a woman called a moment later as she ran toward us from the direction of the bank. "The shoopuf's calmed down now."

"I had better go have a word with the driver," Braska sighed.

"I will accompany you, my lord," I said.

"Yeah, I'll go too," Jecht said, beginning to get up.

"No!" I yelled. "If that shoopuf sees you, it might fly into a rage again, and that is the last thing we want."

Jecht nodded and sat back down, shifting his position so he could lie in the shade of the trees while he waited for our return.

"I'm sorry, Braska," he called feebly as Braska and I returned to the bank.

:::

"Lift ish rueened!" the Hypello cried. "Shoopuf will notsch be able to werk for daysh!"

"I know, I'm sorry," Braska said, apologizing for the umpteenth time. "Look, how much do you need? I'll pay for repairs myself. He _is_ my guardian, and I _am_ liable."

"Hrmph," I grunted, turning my back and walking away as Braska turned over all the money we had as an offering of peace. We walked solemnly back to Jecht, and Braska stared out over the moonlillies.

I decided I would give Jecht a talking-to, but if I was going to get a guarantee out of him, I was going to do it right. I pulled the spherecam from the bag and turned it on, panning across the shoreline and lingering momentarily on Braska, who even from the back looked particularly forlorn. I then focused in on Jecht, lying with his back to me. When he did not turn around, I switched off the camera and walked toward him, nudging him generously with my foot.

"Turn around," I said.

"Whaddya want?" he asked, flipping over.

I turned on the spherecam again, filming him.

"What are you shooting me for?" he asked grumpily.

"So you don't do anything stupid again," I replied. I began walking toward Braska, but kept the lens on Jecht. "I can't believe you attacked that shoopuf! Lord Braska had to pay the handler for damages, from his own travel money!"

"I said I was sorry," he insisted. "It's never gonna happen again, I promise."

"Ah, a promise? Which you'll forget come tomorrow."

"Auron, please," Braska cut in. "He _did_ apologize. He knows he was wrong."

"That's it," Jecht said determinedly, rising to his feet. "Only thing I drink from now on's shoopuf milk!"

"You're sure?" Braska said. He did not sound as wary as I hoped he actually was.

"We're on a journey to fight Sin and save Spira, right? If I keep screwin' up, and… makin' a fool of myself…" He looked down dejectedly. "My wife and kid are never gonna forgive me."

"That's on the record," I reminded him before turning off the spherecam.

"I know," Jecht nodded. "I'm glad." He snorted, then burst into full-on laughter.

"And what could possibly be so funny at a moment like this?" I asked, my tone edgy.

"My kid," Jecht said. "He always used to beg me to stop drinkin'. The wife mentioned it a couple times too, but she never seemed to mind it much. But my son. He'd cry and he'd cry, and he'd tell me they all said I was too drunk to play. I always said I could stop any time I wanted to… but I never did. I never got it," he continued, shaking his head. "I guess maybe I was… maybe I was hurting him."

"I think maybe you were," Braska nodded. "But, you're here now, and we've got a job to focus on."

"Yeah, we do," Jecht said. "Well, what're we waiting for? Let's go!"

"No complaints about your splitting headache, your awful hangover?" I asked as we began our long trip down one part of the Mi'ihen Highroad.

"Ehh, hangover, schmangover," Jecht said, waving dismissively. "I'm good to go."

"If you say so," I shrugged.

We carried on, Jecht seeming to be surprisingly more dedicated to battles and our pilgrimage than he had been only the day before. I had to admit, I was a little impressed, but not ready to forgive him entirely.


	4. Chapter 4

In a single day, we conquered most of the Mi'ihen Highroad as well as the Djosé road, where we solved the Cloister of Trials quickly—with Jecht's full assistance, unlike in Macalania—and Braska obtained the aeon, a great horse of the element of thunder. I remembered him from my previous journey.

"So, where to next?" Jecht asked as we neared the Mi'ihen Travel Agency. It was nighttime, and around us, crickets were chirping. Above our heads, stars twinkled against a navy canvas.

"We rest for the night," Braska said.

"What, you two old ladies tired already?" Jecht said. "Come on, I could fight Sin tonight!"

Braska laughed. "While your energy is admirable, Jecht, it is rather late, and I had intended on getting a fairly early start tomorrow. Let us rest."

"Fine," he said.

"I'll bet he's asleep in less than two minutes," I whispered to Braska as I handed him the bag with the miniscule amount of money we had managed to pick up along the way.

Braska put a hand on my shoulder. "Auron, you seem distracted. Are you all right?"

"Sure," I answered. I gazed up at the Travel Agency, which looked no different than it had just six years ago, but my mind was warping my sight. Instead of seeing what was before me, I saw it as it had been on that tragic evening: piles of wood and rubble everywhere, over forty bodies laid out in front of me, and Paine… gone.

"Well, if you need to talk, let me know," he said, heading into the Travel Agency with Jecht behind him.

"Will do," I said. I continued to stand there and look around me, at the sign, the sleeping chocobos, and even the ruins beyond, out in the ocean. Nothing had changed, and yet… _everything_ had changed.

I closed my eyes and ran my fingers again over the beads fastened to my belt and thought of Alex and Paine: their smiles, their warmth, their light, and how happy we were.

"I love you," I whispered, opening my eyes and following Jecht and Braska into the Travel Agency.

:::

We had just finished breakfast and were cleaning up when we heard a shout from outside.

"Oh, Yevon have mercy!"

"Hm?" Jecht asked. "What's going on?"

A young woman ran into the Agency. "Somebody, help! A fiend just snatched one of the chocobos!"

"Come on!" Jecht exclaimed, running out of the Agency. Braska and I exchanged a look, then followed. "Hey, where'd it go?"

"It's probably long gone by now," I said skeptically.

"Well, we'll _find_ it!" Jecht exclaimed.

I wholeheartedly believed that the fiend was gone, but just in case, I decided to pull out the spherecam, figuring that Jecht would probably want this on record.

"A giant fiend that attacks chocobos…" Braska mused.

"Hmph. What's it waiting for?" Jecht said. "Hey! Come out and fight!"

"I told you this was a waste of time," I sighed.

"Hey, come _on!_" Jecht said, turning around and facing the camera. "It's the right thing to do. Everyone's depending on us! Besides, it's good practice."

I chuckled. "I guess you're right."

"Well, then…" Braska said, nodding.

Suddenly, I felt something nudge my arm, so forcefully that I dropped the spherecam. We all looked around, spotting a giant, hideous fiend, the likes of which I had never seen before.

"There it is!" Jecht called. "Auron! Let's get 'im!"

"Right," I called back.

Braska stopped for a moment to shut off the spherecam before joining Jecht and me in battle.

The beast was good size, with dull blue hide and two cone-shaped tongues. A chocobo feather was stuck between two of its massive teeth, and its colossal arms were wrapped in front of it, almost like a barrier.

"Let's do this!" Jecht yelled, hitting it with his sword.

"I'm with you, Jecht!" I said, taking a swing at it myself.

"Don't forget me," Braska smiled, casting Fira.

"Now, let's see what this thing's made of," Jecht growled.

The Chocobo Eater took aim at Braska, attempting to hit him with its hand, but he dodged it agilely.

"Let's finish this quickly," I said, pulling my sword back. Wind began to swirl around me, gathering more and more until I stepped forward, spinning in circles to encourage the cyclone. I aimed my sword at the Chocobo Eater and the wind followed my direction, intensifying tenfold into a full-on tornado. I detached my canteen from the necklace and tossed it into the twister, the entire thing combusting into a titanic swirl of fire.

After a moment, the flame burned so brightly that everything was engulfed in light. After it faded, the Chocobo Eater came crashing to the ground, lying on its back, unable to get up.

"I'll finish it," Jecht said, running at it and polishing it off with one final blow.

Its body dissipated into pyreflies, and Braska, Jecht, and I momentarily retired our weapons.

"Auron, that was astounding!" Braska said. "When did you learn _that?_"

"Something I picked up in the last few years," I replied. "Maybe if I'd had it before…" I shook my head. "Let's get going."

"I second that notion," Jecht agreed nodding.


	5. Chapter 5

We reached the other side of the highroad, the grand city of Luca, which was decked out in many colors and decorations.

"Is it that time of year again?" Braska asked, looking around.

"I suppose it is," I nodded.

"Eh?" Jecht asked. "Time for what?"

"The annual blitzball tournament," I replied. "Celebrating Grand Maester Mika's continuation in office."

"This is his fortieth year," Braska added.

"So, they got blitz here to, do they?" Jecht said, looking amused. "Never _did_ like watchin' other people play much, but I suppose I could give it a shot."

"If you wish to stop, Lord Braska, we will do so," I said.

"I think it would be most appropriate," Braska said. "This is where we all first met, after all."

"Hm?" Jecht asked. "You guys met here?"

"Yes, we did," I nodded. "It was an entertaining first meeting. Yuna was not even one year old at the time, was she?"

Braska laughed and shook his head. "No, not even one year old. She pulled on Auron's ponytail in this little café in the main part of the city."

"I can see why," Jecht said, walking over to me and yanking on my ponytail. "It's fun."

"Hey, cut it out!" I said, swatting away his hands. "Are you old enough to realize that that actually hurts sometimes?"

"You've been in _how_ many battles, and me pulling on your _ponytail_ hurts?" Jecht laughed. "Tch, no wonder you never made it to Zanarkand! I mean—"

"Enough!" I snapped, walking down the stairs and into town. "We shouldn't linger long, Lord Braska. I will be in the stands, in the Summoner's Box."

"Auron!" Braska called. "Auron, wait!"

I kept walking, on into the sphere stadium where the first two competing teams, the Guado Glories and the Besaid Aurochs, were warming up. I took my place in the Summoner's Box, in what I was certain was the exact same seat I had sat in when I was here last. I sat there, just watching the teams swim laps and meet in their huddles, until I heard Braska and Jecht's voices arguing as they came up the stairs into the sphere stadium.

"What have I _told_ you about bringing that up?" Braska scolded.

"Braska, I'm sorry!" Jecht said. "It just slipped out! I only meant it as a joke, honest!"

"You should tell _Auron_ that," he said as they reached the row. Both looked at me, their expressions almost asking if it was safe to come any closer. I waved them over.

"Auron," Jecht said, sitting down on one side of me. "I really am sorry. I never meant no harm by it, it was just a joke. And I didn't mean to insult your warrior skills: I mean, that move you did back at the Travel Agency was sweet!"

"Thanks," I replied dryly.

"But… I mean…" he hesitated, scratching the back of his head. "You know… I'm really sorry."

"It's… all right," I said at last. "Just take Braska's advice and watch your tongue. I know I can get touchy, but—"

"And I know sometimes I say the wrong thing," Jecht said. "I know that pretty darn well by now."

"So," Braska interceded, sitting down on my other side. "Are we all okay to just enjoy a match or two?"

I nodded. "Yes, Lord Braska."

We all settled into our seats, Jecht telling us a little of the inner workings of a blitzball match, until the buzzer sounded and the first game of the tournament began.

:::

After the first game, we decided that we had best take off for Kilika, so we went down to the docked S.S. Winno, which would take us to the little island. Braska was talking to the ship's captain as I loaded a new sphere into the spherecam and turned it on, just to get it primed.

"Hey, Auron!" Jecht called. I focused the camera on him. "Did you get that last match?"

"Yeah," I replied. "But I don't understand why you wanted me to. Didn't you say you have blitzball in your Zanarkand?"

"Not a sportsman, are ya?" he said, smirking a little.

"Working on your form?" asked Braska from nearer the ship.

"My form don't need no work—I'm the great Jecht! It's for my kid," he answered, walking over to Braska. I followed him with the spherecam, and walked closer to them to get a better angle.

"Your son plays blitzball?" Braska inquired.

"Yeah," Jecht said, crossing his arms. "And he wants to beat his old man, _bad._ Once, I told him to give it up. He didn't speak to me for a week." He uncrossed his arms. "Wonder what he's doing now. I hope he got bigger, and put on some muscle!" Jecht walked over to a stack of crates, facing away from the camera. I brushed past Braska to keep filming him, but he must have noticed me out of the corner of his eye, both of which were a little moist.

"Hey, what's the big idea? Stop shooting!" he snapped.

"Hm," I nodded, turning off the camera and lowering it. "Sorry. Just kind of happened."

"Eh, it's no big deal," he shrugged. "Long as it's off now." He turned to Braska. "So, when do we get outta here?"

"As soon as we board," Braska said.

"Well, what're we standin' around here for?" Jecht said, enthused. "Let's get going!"

:::

As the ferry neared Kilika Island, Jecht and I stood at the bow of the boat, looking out over the water. I noticed his eyes seemed a bit glazed over.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"Huh?" he said, coming out of his fog just a little. "Nah, nothin's wrong. I was just thinkin'."

"What about?"

"Well," he replied, shifting his weight a little. "It was on a rig like this that I first found myself lost at sea, yeah? And then there was this big wave, and then… well, here I am."

"Back in your Zanarkand?" I asked.

"Yeah, back in Zanarkand," he nodded. "I just… I wish I'd got to tell my wife and kid g'bye, you know?"

"Mm," I said. "Well, I'm sorry that happened."

"Hey, no biggie," he said, waving dismissively. "It got me here, didn't it? Let me meet you and Braska. Sobered me up, too."

"I'm quite glad you did that, by the way," I told him. "It's sped up our journey considerably."

"No sweat," he replied. "I kinda owed it to ya, after attacking that shoopuf and all…"

"I'm with you there," I agreed.

"So, Auron, where do you come from?" Jecht asked. "I mean, I met you in Bevelle, but from what I've heard so far, it doesn't really sound like that's where you started out."

"I'm from Besaid," I said. "It's another island, beyond Kilika. That's where I originally met my wife, Alex."

"Alex, huh?" Jecht said. "Hm."

"Her full name's Alexandra, of course," I replied. "But… I called her Alex." I felt like I could trust Jecht, at last, so I pulled out the sphere I had kept within my cloak's lining. "Would you like to see our family?"

"Sure, why not?" Jecht said. I started up the sphere, and we watched the scenes. I fought back tears as I watched our wedding, and had to fight even harder at the scene of us in front of Braska and Mara's home with Paine.

"That your kid?" Jecht asked.

"Yes," I nodded. "Her name was Paine."

"She's got your cheekbones," Jecht noted with a chuckle.

"Yeah," I replied. "Alex said the same thing. Paine had her lips, her smile, her nose, her everything, and all I got were cheekbones."

"Come on, Paine, smile!" Mara's voice said from behind the camera. I remembered, she had made a funny face then, and Paine had laughed in response.

"Who was that?" Jecht asked.

"Mara," Braska replied, walking toward us from the other end of the ship. "She was _my_ wife, Yuna's mother."

"Ah," Jecht said, nodding. He kept watching the sphere. "You had one good lookin' family, Auron."

"I know," I nodded. "As I said before, it's why I'm in such a rush. I fight for them."

"Well then," Braska said, "it's a good thing we're finally in Kilika."

I turned off and pocketed the sphere, realizing that we were docking.

"How could I have missed that?" I asked, looking around.

"It's all right, Auron," Jecht said, clapping me on the back. "Let's just get to those Trials and get on the next ferry to… erm… what did you say it was called?"

"Besaid," I chuckled.

"Yeah, that place," Jecht said, leading the way off the ship. "Come on, ya slowpokes!"

Braska and I exchanged peaceful looks, then followed.

"So, you and Jecht are getting along now?" Braska asked.

"For the moment," I replied. "He _can_ be a good travelling companion."

"I told you," Braska smiled.

"Hey!" Jecht called. "How many times do I gotta yell atcha before you _come on!_"

Braska and I laughed, then jogged to catch up. As we walked through Kilika, I remembered how Alex always used to say she wanted to come back and live here, and how we were so close to actually doing it. I even saw a couple of the huts up for sale. I sighed deeply, then shook myself out of it as we proceeded to the temple.


	6. Chapter 6

It was mid-afternoon when we boarded the S.S. Liki, the ship that would take us to Besaid. Jecht grabbed the spherecam and started recording as we lounged about on the bow.

"After you get that aeon from Besaid," he said. "Where're we going?"

I turned around. "Back the way we came. Then we go north from Bevelle, and climb Mt. Gagazet."

Braska turned around as well. "Beyond it lies… Zanarkand."

"Zanarkand, huh?" Jecht mused, chuckling and walking slowly away. "It's been in ruins for a thousand years, right?"

"So the legends say," I replied, walking over to him. "No one knows for sure. It still _could_ be your Zanarkand."

"Thanks for trying, Auron." Jecht turned off the camera. "I know it's not the same one."

Jecht placed the spherecam back into the pack before climbing up the stairs to the upper platform.

"I'll follow him," Braska said. "I should… probably talk to him."

He grabbed the spherecam as he followed Jecht up the stairs, leaving me to stand below on the deck and eavesdrop.

Jecht sighed. "I thought if I went with you guys I might find a way to go back, but it's not that easy."

"I'm sorry," Braska apologized.

"No need to apologize, Braska, it's not your fault. I should be thinking about fighting Sin now, anyway. Zanarkand can wait. But I _will_ find my way back!"

"Be careful, Jecht," Braska said warily.

"Hey, I'll be all right," Jecht replied breezily. "_You're_ the one that should be careful. Wouldn't want your little girl to cry."

"She'll be all right," Braska replied. "She's strong, like her mother was."

I walked back to the bow of the ship to watch as we came up on Besaid Island. I felt kind of glad to be back home, in the place I grew up, and where I met Alex and Kinoc.

"I wonder how Kinoc is," I said to myself as we docked. "Wonder if he's been promoted again by now…" I sighed. This whole trip was bringing back so many memories.

We left the ferry and walked onto the white sands of the beach. I remembered playing there as a boy, practicing with swords made of wood, and smiled a little.

"Come on, Auron!" Jecht said. "And I thought you were in a hurry!"

I laughed. "Coming, Jecht," I called back.

We made our way through the trees and beneath the beautiful waterfalls toward the village, Braska looking all around him in awe as we walked. When we finally arrived there, facing the temple, I pulled out the spherecam again.

"Smallest heap of huts I ever seen!" Jecht said, seeming quite unimpressed.

"Now," Braska said, stepping closer to him. "That looks like a fine place to live. Hmm… Auron."

"My lord?" I replied, turning toward him.

"When this is over… could you bring Yuna here?" He continued to gaze at the huts. "I want her to lead a life far away from this conflict."

"You have my word," I nodded, not really wanting to think about how things would be when this was over. "I will bring her here."

Braska turned to face me. "Thank you, Auron. You are a good friend."

"What're you guys doin'?" Jecht asked from within the town. "Let's go! I'm so hungry I could eat a shoopuf whole!" He turned around and made his way deeper into the village.

Braska chuckled. "Sorry." He began to follow Jecht. "Well, let's go then."

I walked forward, taking in my surroundings, before I realized that I was still recording. I turned the spherecam off and placed it back in the bag.

"Hey, Jecht, where are you going?" I called.

"Ain't there food in the temple?" he asked.

"There's probably more in the Crusader's Lodge," I said.

"You know your way around here, don't you?" Braska asked. "Oh, that's right, you lived in Besaid! How could I have forgotten?"

"Pay it no mind, Braska," I said. "Let's just have some dinner, and then we can go to the temple."

"I'm all for that," Jecht said, walking past me and into the Crusader's Lodge. Braska and I followed and were greeted by one of the Crusaders stationed in Besaid.

"Please, help yourself to food and drink," she said nicely. "And feel free to stay the night, if you need to."

"Thank you," Braska said politely as Jecht began to dig into the food laid out on buffet tables.

"Hey, this stuff is pretty good," he said through a mouthful of food.

"Hey, chew with your mouth closed!" I said, laughing.

"I'm the great Jecht!" he said. He swallowed, then continued. "I'll chew however I please!"

We shared a laugh as we started our dinner.

:::

After a pleasant meal at the Crusader's Lodge, we made a beeline for the Besaid Temple, which I was just a little reluctant to approach.

"I'm not sure that it would be best for me to go in there," I said. "Remember…" I turned to Braska. "Remember what I told you, the day before you decided to become a summoner again? About not marrying that priest's daughter?"

"Yes," Braska nodded. "Was it—?"

"Indeed it was," I said. "This priest, and this priest's daughter."

"You mean she had the hots for you?" Jecht asked, turning around on the stairs leading to the temple and looking at Braska and me.

"You could say that," I replied. "An annoying little thing she was, too."

"Heh," Jecht laughed. "You should've smacked her one."

"Auron would never harm a lady like that," Braska said. "That's not like him."

"I did get pretty close a few times," I admitted. "She just wouldn't go away."

The temple doors opened then, and out walked none other than Staravia. She took a deep breath, then looked over at us.

"Speak of the devil," I said under my breath.

Her peaceful expression turned at once into one composed mainly of shock and partly of distaste.

"Hello, Auron," she said, walking down the steps. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Hello, Staravia," I replied, trying my best to be cordial. "How are you?"

"Fine," she said. "I'm married now, you know."

"Good for you," I said.

"And how's your wife? Oh that's right, she's _dead,_" she said, smirking a little. "While _I'm_ still _very_ much alive."

"That's nice," I replied dryly.

"I married a Crusader, you know."

_I'm surprised he doesn't take you along with him when he goes off to fight Sin,_ I thought. _Then he could use you as a diversion while he ran._

"Hm."

"Who's this?" she asked, looking at Braska and Jecht.

"The summmoner I guard," I said sharply. "And a fellow guardian. That is the reason we've come to this temple, so that we may obtain the aeon and hopefully defeat Sin."

"Hm," she said, looking them over. "Interesting." She focused her attention back on me. "You know, my husband's off training right now."

"Okay."

"Maybe after you get the aeon, you could come inside," she said, her tone far less hostile than before. "And we could… you know…" she looked up at me and batted her eyelashes. "Catch up?"

"We are in a hurry, if you don't mind," I said, walking past her and up the steps. "Come on Braska, Jecht."

"Fine!" she yelled. "But you'll regret it."

As we made our way to the Cloister of Trials, Jecht ran up beside me.

"I would call that 'the hots,'" he said quietly. "But the weirdest case of 'em I ever seen."

I snorted. "Tell me about it."

:::

After Braska had obtained the final aeon he would obtain from a public temple, we left the Cloister of Trials, feeling quite successful.

"There isn't, by chance, a boat or somethin' that could take us right to Bevelle, is there?" Jecht asked as we descended the stairs to the main chamber of the temple.

"I'm afraid not," Braska said, shaking his head.

"I was afraid you'd say that," Jecht muttered.

"Auron," I heard a voice say, just as we were about to open the double doors and leave the temple.

"So close," I said under my breath, shaking my head. "Kappo, hello."

"Hello, Auron," Kappo said, Staravia standing behind him and smirking at me. "What brings you back here?"

"Didn't your daughter tell you?" I asked. "I am once more a guardian, on a pilgrimage to Zanarkand."

"Ah, interesting," Kappo said. "Well, I sure hope the rest of your pilgrimage goes well, _Sir_ Auron."

"Thank you," I replied, doing my best not to grind my teeth. "I will see that it does."

We left the temple quickly, heading back toward the beach.

"Man, that guy had 'hostile' written all over 'im!" Jecht said. "He was trying to hide it, but he didn't do all that great of a job, did he?"

"No," I said, shaking my head. "He didn't."

"That little brat," Jecht growled. "Wish I could put her in her place, comin' on to a guy like that when she's married. And a total b—"

"Let's not talk about this anymore," I said. "I would like to completely put them from my mind, if possible."

"Of course," Jecht nodded. "Sorry."

"It is all right," I assured him.

"I hope Yuna will like it here," Braska said after a moment.

"I'm sure she will," I said. "How could she not? It is quite serene, and the people here are nice."

"Most of them," Jecht muttered.

"Yes," Braska nodded, admiring the rainbow that reflected off the mist of the waterfalls in the early evening light. "It will… it will be a lovely place for her. Safe, and happy."

"You've chosen well, Lord Braska," I said.

"Hey, guys," Jecht said. "Where're we sleepin' tonight?"

"On the ferry back to Kilika," Braska said. "We'll be in Kilika by morning, then take a boat to Luca, and so on and so forth."

"Man, crossing that Mi'ihen Highroad again is gonna be torture," Jecht groaned. "It's so dang time-consuming!"

"I know," I agreed, chuckling. "Perhaps we can rent a chocobo."

Jecht looked befuddled. "A _what?_"

:::

"Whoa!" Jecht said as he struggled to keep hold of the reigns. "Auron, how'd you say you control this thing?"

Braska and I were laughing too hard to shout directions, so Jecht kept flying around on his chocobo.

"Do something!" he yelled.

"Jecht, stop flailing your arms!" Braska called. "Take hold of the reigns and pull back."

"That's what I _did!_"

"Gentler!" I called.

"Fine, I'll do it your way!" Jecht shouted. "Anything to get the stupid bird to stand still." Jecht finally found a grip on the reigns and pulled gently, and the chocobo almost instantly came to a calm halt.

"See?" I said, steering my chocobo over to his. "Not so bad, now is it?"

"Eh," Jecht shrugged. "Maybe it's not so dumb, after all." He gave it a gentle pet. "Good birdie."

"Calling it 'stupid' might not have been the best choice, either," Braska noted. "Now come on, let's get going. I'd like to reach the Moonflow before sundown."

"Roger that, LB," Jecht said, squeezing the chocobo's sides gently. "Yee-haw!"

Laughing, Braska and I followed Jecht at a run, and before we knew it, we were to the Moonflow.

"We made better time than I expected," Braska said, looking up at the sky as he dismounted his chocobo. "We might even make Macalania before nightfall."

"Sweet," Jecht said, getting off his bird. He turned and petted it. "Well, you really aren't so bad," he said softly.

I slid off the back of the chocobo I had been riding. "Question is, will they let us cross again?"

"Only one way to find out," Braska said, leading us to the Moonflow's south bank.

:::

"No!" the Hypello driver insisted. "Absholutelly not!"

"Come on!" Jecht said. "I've changed! I promise, I won't hurt your precious shoehorn—"

"Shoopuf, Jecht," I corrected.

"Whatever it's called, I won't hurt it again!"

"No, no no!" the driver insisted. "Musht find anudder way to crosh Moonflow."

Braska, Jecht, and I watched as some other passengers got onto the cart atop the shoopuf's back and the giant creature began to make its way across the Moonflow. In the distance, we heard what sounded like buzzing, and it was getting closer, quickly. Suddenly, the shoopuf cried out and began to veer off course, and we were finally able to see the reason. Inside a fairly large motor boat machina was a person, enjoying the sunset with a nice ride along the Moonflow. He steered his boat to shore, and the driver was finally able to get the shoopuf calm enough to continue the journey across the water.

"That shoopuf is having a rough week," I muttered.

"I'll say," Jecht agreed.

"_Syh, dryd fyc lmuca!_" the man who was riding the boat said.

"Is that Al Bhed?" I asked Braska.

"If I ever heard it," Braska said, squinting at the man. "I think I know him…"

"Really?" I asked.

The man looked over toward us. "Braska!" he shouted. He ran over to Braska and hugged him. "I heard about Mara. I am so sorry!" he said, pulling away. "How are you?"

"I am a summoner now," he said. "I decided to avenge her this way. Maybe by defeating Sin, I can make her death a little less meaningless."

"_E fecr oui milg uh ouin zuinhao,_" he said.

"_Dryhg oui,_" Braska replied.

"You understand any of this jargon?" Braska asked quietly.

"A little," I said, shrugging. "I know that _oui_ means you."

"In what realm of existence does _that_ make sense?" Jecht asked.

"This one, evidently," I chuckled.

"Who're your friends?" the man asked.

"Oh, right," Braska said. "Auron, Jecht, I'd like you to meet Rocam. He was one of Mara's friends."

"Ah," I said, nodding. I walked up to him and shook his hand. "_Hela du saad oui._"

"Oh, not you too!" Jecht cried from behind me.

"_Hela du saad oui, duu!_" Rocam said, pleasantly surprised. "You know our language?"

"Just a little," I said. "My late wife once lived among you, and she was quite fluent. I learned just a little from her, before…"

"_E's cunno,_" Rocam said.

"_Dryhgc,_" I replied.

"So, why aren't you guys on the shoopuf?" he asked.

"The driver won't let us on," Braska explained. "Jecht here attacked the shoopuf a couple of days ago, but although he _is_ different, they won't let us ride."

"Well, you're welcome to board my boat, if you like," Rocam offered. "It's big enough, I think."

"Really?" Braska asked. "That would be great!"

"Well, no use lollygagging around here," he said. "Hop in—I'll take you across the water."

"Thank you," I said as we all climbed into his boat.

"_Tuh'd sahdeuh ed,_" he said, waving dismissively.

"Eh, translation please?" Jecht said.

"Don't mention it," Braska repeated in English.

"Thanks."


	7. Chapter 7

We trekked back along the road leading from the Moonflow to Guadosalam, then back through the Thunder Plains and into Macalania Woods, all before stars began to twinkle in the sky.

"Think we should stop for the night?" Braska asked. "I believe we have time."

"Well," Jecht said. "I'm stoppin', I know that much. I'm bushed."

"I think it's settled, then," Braska said. I put down the pack and we took shelter in a little offset place, near the deep lake.

"Why do I always seem to stop here?" I wondered aloud as I spread out a blanket for myself. "With Alex, multiple times, and now with the two of you, multiple times. It's like I'm drawn to this place."

"I would be surprised if you weren't," Braska said. "This was a good place for you, was it not? Filled with happy memories?"

"It was," I nodded.

"It then follows that you would be drawn here," he concluded. "If only because of your memories."

"Hm," I said. "Well, whatever it is, I'm glad. It's quite nice here."

"It is," Braska nodded. "I can see why your wife loved it so much."

"Hey, Braska," Jecht interrupted. "Aren't we close to Bevelle?"

"Yes we are, Jecht," Braska said. "Why do you ask?"

"You wanna go visit little Yuna before we get to Zanarkand?"

Braska looked torn. "I would love to, but I should not play with her emotions that way, even if I'd like to show those other priests at the temple how far we've come."

"Play with her emotions?" Jecht asked.

"_Other_ priests?" I inquired.

Braska chuckled. "To answer your question, Jecht, I feel that I should not pop into her life, just for a few hours, only to leave it again. It would not be fair to her, especially if she has already been trying to accept the fact that I am gone and will not return."

"I guess I understand," Jecht nodded.

"And these other priests?" I repeated.

"I used to be a priest at the temple in Bevelle," he said. "It was one of our… outreach missions, I suppose you could call it, upon which I met Mara. I thought you knew this, Auron."

"Not the priest part," I said.

"Well, now you do," Jecht said. "Now, can we all shut up so I can get some shuteye?"

Braska and I laughed.

"Certainly, Jecht," he said. "Goodnight."

:::

The next day, in the early afternoon, we stood facing the gate of Mt. Gagazet. I knew that the chills running down my spine were not just from the cold. Thoughts, hypothetical scenarios, kept running through my mind, and what I could do in all of them to just keep Braska alive. I knew that Alex's death had been a health issue, but I was still going to do whatever it took to make sure Braska got through safely.

I would not fail this time.

"Are you sure you stocked up on everything, Jecht?" I asked. "Potions, phoenix downs, remedies?"

"For the tenth time, I got it all back at the rest area in the Calm Lands," Jecht insisted. "Why're you so paranoid about this?"

"Near the end of the mountain trail… is where Alex died," I said slowly. "I just wanted to make sure we didn't meet the same end."

"Oh… right," Jecht nodded. "I'm sorry, Auron."

"It's all right," I said. "Really, it's okay. Let's just get over Gagazet, through the Trials, and into Zanarkand."

"Sweet Yevon, I hope these are the last ones…" Jecht groaned as we proceeded onto the mountain trail.

Once again it was snowing as I crossed the mountain with my summoner, but this snow was far more peaceful, and not nearly as heavy. The winds were also quite still, making it a fairly scenic path to travel.

"Hey, Auron," Jecht said, pointing to a pile of snow-blanketed rocks. "What's that?"

"It is a grave marker of sorts," I replied. "A tribute to summoners and guardians who have died on this mountain."

"Your wife's?" he asked.

"No," I shook my head. "Hers is farther down."

"Okay," Jecht said. "Let's keep going, then."

As we walked along, Jecht hummed to what he thought was himself, and Braska stared off into the distance.

"What are you thinking about, Lord Braska?" I asked.

"Hm?" he said, looking over at me. "Oh, it's… it's nothing, really."

"You're not much of a liar, Braska," I grinned.

"Mara told me the same thing," he said, mirroring my expression. "It really is nothing all that important, pay it no mind."

"As you wish," I conceded, continuing to keep pace with him.

:::

When we reached the final grave marker, the one I recognized as my own handiwork, I stopped and stared down at it.

"Auron?" Jecht said, looking over at me. "Are you—?"

"We'll give you a minute," Braska interceded. "If you need me, I'll be over there." He pointed to a small offshoot of the path just down the trail a ways. "Don't hesitate."

"Thanks," I said, my focus not drawn from the rocks. Jecht wandered back the way we came while Braska headed toward that one little area of the path.

"Alex," I whispered. "I don't know if you can hear me, though I kind of doubt it since you're at the Farplane, but I wish… I wish you could see this. See _us_. We're here now. You always told me you knew I could defeat Sin, and I won't let you down this time." A tear ran down my cheek and dropped onto the rocks. Beneath the pile, I could just make out her staff, although it had accumulated some rust and been moved slightly by the wind. "I will not fail."

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a slight breeze brushed over me. This breeze was foreign to the mountain; the air was warmer, and it smelled of moonlillies. I smiled.

"I love you too," I whispered, holding the necklace at my waist in my hand. "Take care of Paine."

The breeze died down, and I heard Jecht walk behind me and pace around a little bit before Braska called over to us.

"Sorry about that!" he said. I turned around to face him. "Are you both ready to keep going?"

"You bet," Jecht nodded.

Braska walked over to us. "And you, Auron?"

"Mm," I nodded. "Let's do this!"

"You said it!" Jecht exclaimed, leading us onward over the remainder of the trail.

:::

After we completed the trials within the mountain and defeated a titanic dragon—a final trial—we emerged on the other side of the mountain, at the top of a narrow winding trail down to Zanarkand. The sun had almost set, and the sky was turning a soft shake of periwinkle. We all stood there on that flat ledge for a while, looking out at the ruins of Zanarkand, the once-great city of lights, blitzball, and good times.

"Ruins," Jecht said softly. "Just as I thought."

"I am sorry, Jecht," Braska said in much the same tone. "I truly thought that maybe—"

"You have no need to apologize, Braska," Jecht assured him. "I've been thinking a lot lately. Somewhere inside me I knew this couldn't be my Zanarkand, but a part of me wanted to believe it, so badly that for a while, I was actually able to convince myself that it _could_ be the place I've been looking for. But I know I'm not going home."

"Jecht," Braska said.

"No, it's okay," he said. "I know my wife will raise the boy well. And besides, now I get to be there with you guys for the parades!"

I glanced over at Braska. "You haven't told him yet?"

Braska shook his head. "No."

"Eh?" Jecht said, looking between both of us with a confused expression on his face. "Tell me what now?"

"Jecht," Braska began. "Follow me over here a moment. There's something I need to tell you."

"Okay," Jecht said as he and Braska began to wander toward the cliffs. "What's up?"

"You see, Jecht, when a summoner obtains the Final Aeon…"

I stopped listening after that. I did not need to hear Braska telling Jecht about what would happen to him; I knew well enough myself, and I was afraid of what my reaction would be if I heard him say it, almost bring it into absolution. Braska was going to get the Final Aeon, somehow, down there in Zanarkand. Then, he was going to call it, and it would defeat Sin, but it would take his life in the process.

I thought I had accepted this decision. I thought I had accepted it the day Braska had asked me to be his guardian, back in Bevelle. I thought that I could handle it. But I was rethinking everything, standing there on that precipice and looking down on the ruins of Zanarkand. For finally reaching our goal, it was pretty unfulfilling.

_Even so,_ I thought. _I wish you could see this. It's kind of… eerily beautiful, especially in this light. Barely any noise at all—it's like time is standing still. I think you would have liked it._

"Auron," Braska called from the corner where he and Jecht stood. I walked over to them, examining their expressions. Braska looked collected as always, but Jecht had a blank look on his face.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" he asked.

"We…" I searched for an explanation.

"We didn't want you to worry," Braska said.

"Worry? Me?" Jecht said, attempting a laugh. "Nah. I mighta tried to stop you, after I learned that you guys weren't as high and mighty as you seemed, but…"

"And that's why, too," Braska said. "You know I would have kept going, no matter what you might have said."

"I know," Jecht nodded sadly.

"Well, on that note…" Braska said, looking down at the trail leading into the ruins. "Let's go."

"It'll be nightfall before we even get into Zanarkand, what with that long path," I said, trying unsuccessfully to lighten the mood.

"I'll bet you you're right," Braska chuckled.

Even though we were all walking down that road together, we were all in different places. Jecht was looking about at the wreckage of all the buildings, a distant glimmer of recognition in his eyes. Braska looked straight forward, probably thinking about that Final Aeon. I was looking off the other way, thinking again about just what Braska was doing.

_Every time,_ I thought, _Sin has come back. The teachings say we can vanquish it with complete atonement, with a bond of love strong enough to conquer it, but it has _always_ come back, every single time. If it comes back again, then what will the purpose be? Braska will have died for nothing, just like Mara and just like Alex. Yuna will be left parentless for naught._

_But Sin will be gone,_ another part of my conscious mind replied. _People can sleep in their beds without worrying that they'll wake up to find their house in shambles and their family members dead. Braska is giving his life for theirs._

I shook my head to try to clear the arguing sides of my conscious, but I was still torn. What if it _did_ end up being for nothing, and nothing changed? What could I do _then?_


	8. Chapter 8

We had gone through Zanarkand, the night sky brimming with stars above us, and were just coming up upon a piece of rubble that created something resembling an arch over the path before we reached a building.

"Hey, Braska," Jecht said. "You don't have to do this."

"Thank you for your concern," Braska replied.

"Fine," Jecht said, crossing his arms. "I said my piece."

"Well, _I_ haven't!" I said. "Lord Braska, let us go back! I don't want to see you… die!"

"You knew this was to happen, my friend," he said calmly, barely turning his head.

"Yes, but I…" I hesitated, hanging my head. "I cannot accept it."

Braska chuckled and shook his head. "Auron, I am honored that you care for me so, but I have come to kill grief itself. I will defeat Sin, and lift the veil of sorrow covering Spira." He turned around to look at me. "Please understand, Auron."

I remained silent as he turned around and walked beneath the arch. Jecht and I followed after him, entering the building.

Inside, piles of rubble were scattered everywhere, the ceiling had caved in in places, and some pieces of the floor were missing.

"_This_ is where we get the Final Aeon?" Jecht asked, looking around as we went on. "It's a dump!"

"They _are_ thousand-year-old ruins, Jecht," Braska laughed.

"I know," he replied. "But you'd think they'd dress it up a little."

Braska smiled. "Come on, let's keep going."

We made our way up two sets of stairs, sighting a healing sphere next to a set of double doors, one of which lie ajar.

"Are the Trials ahead?" Jecht asked.

"Probably," Braska said, touching the sphere.

Jecht hung his head. "Here too, huh?" He straightened up. "Gimme a break. I was expecting, you know, parades and fireworks!" he gestured with his hands.

Braska turned around. "You can ask for them after I defeat Sin."

We continued on into the main part of the building, and came across what could only be the Cloister of Trials.

"Well, here we go," Braska said, looking at Jecht.

"Yup," Jecht sighed. "Let's do this."

:::

After solving the Trials, a lift appeared in the center of the room. Braska looked between the two of us, and nodded. Without a word, we all boarded the lift, and it descended quickly. We stepped off, then walked through a narrow hallway and into a small room, where a fayth statue lie.

"This statue…" Braska said, looking at it. "It has no fayth within it."

"That statue lost its power years ago," said a voice. I recognized it as the voice of the unsent man with green skin who had greeted us at the entrance to the long path leading to this temple.

"But… what does that mean?" I asked. "Is this not the fayth for the Final Summoning?"

"No, it is not," he replied.

"Do you mean to say that there _is_ no Final Aeon?" I asked.

"Whaddya mean, no Final Aeon?" Jecht shouted.

"Please," he said calmly. "Go through the door. The lady will explain everything to you." He then faded away in a cloud of pyreflies.

"'The lady?'" I asked. "Could he mean—?"

"We will not know until we go through the door," Braska said, leading the way.

We followed, and I wondered. During my years at the Bevelle Temple, I had read of some great power at the end of the road in Zanarkand, waiting to help summoners who reached it. I had always assumed this power was the Final Aeon, but that vacant statue had left me quite perplexed, and when the green man referred to it as "the lady," my mind began to race. There was only one person that the texts had ever referred to as "the lady." Her name was Yunalesca, the very first vanquisher of Sin.

We found ourselves in a large, circular room with ornately decorated floors and walls, pyreflies circling around near the ceiling.

"What is this place?" Jecht asked, looking around.

"The Hall… of the Final Summoning," I replied.

"Ah," said a woman's voice. "I see you know your history. Very good, guardian."

We looked up at the doors on the far side of the room. A scantily-clad lady with long, silvery-white hair walked down to us, her body aglow in pyreflies.

"Welcome to Zanarkand," she said. "I congratulate you, summoner. You have completed your pilgrimage."

"Lady Yunalesca," I muttered.

"So it is true," Braska said.

"Indeed, summoner," she nodded. "What you read in your texts is true. I am an unsent, and I wait here for worthy summoners and their guardians to approach, and bestow upon them that which they seek: the Final Aeon. Now, Lord Braska—choose."

We all looked at her in confusion.

"Choose?" he echoed.

"Yes," she nodded. "You must choose the one whom I will change to become the Fayth of the Final Summoning."

We gasped.

"There must be a bond between chosen and summoner," she continued. "That is what the Final Summoning embodies: the bond between husband and wife, mother and child, or between friends. If that bond is strong enough, its light will conquer Sin. You, summoner and guardians, may already know that a thousand years ago, I chose my husband Zaon as my fayth. Our bond was true, and I obtained the Final Aeon. There is nothing to fear—you will soon be freed of worry and pain. Once you call forth the Final Aeon, summoner, your life will end. Death, after all, is the ultimate and final liberation. Many before you chose this path, summoner. Now, it is your turn to decide. I will leave you and your guardians to make your decision." She gave us Yevon's prayer, then walked back into the chamber beyond the double doors.

I waited until after she was gone before I spoke. "It is not too late! Let us turn back!" I insisted.

"If I turn back, who will defeat Sin?" Braska inquired over his shoulder, his back to both Jecht and me. He looked back at the stairs. "Would you have some other summoner and _his_ guardians go through this?"

"But… my lord," I continued in desperation. "There must be another way!"

"This is the only way we got now," Jecht said solemnly. "Fine. Make _me_ the fayth. I've been doing some thinking. My dream is back in the other Zanarkand. I wanted to make that runt into a star blitz player. Show him the… view from the top, you know. But now I know there's no way home for me. I'm never gonna see him again. My dream's never gonna come true. So _make me the fayth._ I'll fight Sin with you, Braska. Then maybe my life will have meaning, you know."

I could not bear it any longer. "Don't do this, Jecht!" I cried. "If you _live, _there may be another way! We'll think of something, I know!"

"Believe me," he said sadly. "I thought this through. Besides…" he looked up at the ceiling. "I ain't getting' any younger, so I might as well make myself useful!"

Braska walked over to him. "Jecht?"

"What?" he replied, looking at him. "You're not gonna try to stop me too?"

Braska looked down. "Sorry. I mean… thank you."

I hung my head, feeling my eyes begin to sting with tears.

"Braska still has to fight Sin, Auron," Jecht said, clapping his hands on Braska's shoulders. He walked forward, toward the steps. "Guard him well, make sure he gets there."

I tried to speak, but only a gush of air escaped my lungs. What could I say, if nothing would dissuade them?

"Well, let's go," he whispered. He and Braska began to walk up the stairs.

I turned around. Even though I knew that nothing could stop them, I still had to try. "Lord Braska! Jecht!"

"Whaddya want now?" Jecht asked, turning around.

"Sin _always_ comes back!" I insisted. "It comes back after the Calm _every time!_ The cycle will continue and your deaths will mean _nothing!_"

"But there's always a chance it won't come back this time," Braska said. "It's worth trying."

"I understand what you're saying, Auron," Jecht said, crossing his arms, then changing his mind and uncrossing them. "I'll find a way to _break_ the cycle."

"You… have a plan?" I asked.

Braska looked up at him. "Jecht?"

"Trust me," he said with a trademark smirk. "I'll think of something." He then laughed heartily, the sound echoing across the room. He turned around and walked back down the stairs toward me, Braska following behind him. "Don't you worry, Auron." He looked back at the doors. "There's a way."

"Jecht…"

"Can I ask you one last favor?" Jecht said suddenly. "Uh… nah, nevermind."

"Out with it!" I said, still choking back my emotions as best I could.

"Okay. Listen good. Take care of my son."

I gasped and nodded. Jecht turned around and looked at me.

"My son, in Zanarkand. He's such a _crybaby._ He needs someone there to hold his hand, see? Take care of him, will you?"

I stepped back a few steps. "But how am I supposed to go to Zanarkand?"

Jecht chuckled. "Hey, you said it yourself! There must be a way to get there, right? You'll find it." He sounded so sure.

I nodded. "All right, I will. I give you my word. I'll take care of your son. I'll guard him with my life." _As if he were my own…_ I thought.

"Thanks, Auron," Jecht said, closing the gap between us and giving me a hug. "You were always such a stiff, but that's what I liked about ya." He stepped back, and it appeared as though his eyes were a little moist. "Sorry. Dunno what came over me there."

"It's fine," I assured him.

"Well then," Jecht said, turning and walking back up the stairs. "Braska?"

"Jecht."

"Let's go."

I watched as my friends walked up the stairs. Jecht's hand was on the door, when…

"Jecht?"

"What is it _now?_" He didn't even bother to turn around.

I swallowed hard. "Good luck."

Jecht chuckled. "Thanks, Auron. You too." He then pulled the door open and led Braska through them.


	9. Chapter 9

I cannot remember how long I stood there, waiting for them to emerge from that room. I never heard a sound from the chamber beyond those towering doors; Jecht did not scream, Braska did not protest. Nothing. Hour-long seconds blurred into century-long minutes as I lost track of the time, seated on the steps with my back to the door.

Finally, I heard them open behind me. I stood and turned to face them. Braska, his face paler than usual, descended toward me solemnly.

"Well?" I asked.

He closed his eyes. "It is done. I have… obtained the Final Summoning." His voice was soft, as if his energy had been robbed as Jecht's had been.

"Let's go," I said. "We have a job to do."

Braska nodded, and silently, we retraced our steps through Zanarkand and Gagazet, down to the Calm Lands. It was the dead of night, so Braska kept a steady fire spell going to light our way. When finally we reached the bottom of the ramp of land that lead up to Macalania Woods, he turned and looked at me.

"Auron," he began. "I must ask you to wait in the woods."

"But my lord!" I tried.

"Auron," he repeated. "You must be there to take Yuna to Besaid. It is not your time."

"Lord Braska—"

"No protesting," he said. "Thank you, Auron, for being a loyal guardian, and a good friend. I shall… I will tell Alex and Paine hello when I see them."

I lowered my eyes to the emerald grass. "Thank you, Braska."

Braska gave me a brief hug before I walked up the ramp in solitude. I found the deep lake that I had been to many a time before, and sat down on the ground. For a few minutes, the only thing preventing my senses from being depressed by the blackness was the gentle orange glow of the orb in the tree and the odd glow the water seemed to give off. I stared into it before hearing the familiar sound of moans, wails, screams, and misery—the sound of Sin.

Sorrow and anxiety wrapped themselves around my bones, both from the sound of anguish and from knowing that my friend of nearly seven years was standing face-to-face with its source.

I wandered over to the lake, closed my eyes, and touched the cool water. I did not know what to think or feel, so I only listened.

First, there was the low grumble of an aeon, followed by a battle roar. Somewhere in that deep voice, I could hear Jecht… and feel his determination. Following the roar, the sounds of battle rang through the forest, probably even all of Spira. I heard Sin wail and groan, and Jecht respond with throaty grunts and growls.

I sat there for some amount of time, listening to the fight rage on, but when the noises stopped I stood and looked skyward. The sun was coloring the sky in fiery shades of red and orange. It was the beginning of a new day, a day without Sin… but also without the only two friends I had left in the world.

I could not make myself focus on the Sinless world in which I now stood; my mind was consumed with everything I had lost because of Sin, because of Yevon. My child, my wife, and my friends had all been killed because of this monstrous cult, the one I had devoted the last twenty-five years of my life to. It needed to stop.

I realized that my feet were carrying me somewhere as I thought all of this, and I allowed them to do so. Consumed with loss, I found myself winding back up Mount Gagazet and charging back through Zanarkand, back to the place where Yunalesca had robbed Jecht of his immortal soul to produce Braska's Final Aeon. I yanked on the handle of one of those cursed double doors and ran into the room beyond them.

I glared around at the stars and sky surrounding the platform on which I stood.

"Yunalesca!" I screamed. "Show yourself!" I turned, ninety degrees at a time, until I was standing once again facing a staircase that led down to somewhere. "I command you to show yourself to me!"

On the stairs across the platform from me, Yunalesca's figure materialized, walking calmly up them.

"Congratulations, guardian of High Summoner Braska," she said stoically. "Your summoner has defeated the greatest of all evils. Return home, rejoice with your friends and family."

"I _have_ no friends or family!" I yelled. "Yevon has taken them all from me, one by one!"

"Then begin life anew," she suggested. "Bask in Spira's renewed hope, while it lasts."

"So Sin will return?" I questioned. "Braska and Jecht gave their lives for _nothing?_"

"Not for nothing," Yunalesca said, shaking her head slowly. "They have given the denizens of Spira hope."

"What good is hope?"

"Hope is… comforting," she replied. "It allows us to accept fate, however tragic it might be."

"NO!" I roared, no longer able to restrain myself. I ran forward, brandishing my katana. "Where is the _sense_ in all this?" I cried, swinging my sword. "Braska believed in Yevon's teachings and died for them!" I swung my sword again. "Jecht believed in Braska and gave his _life_ for him!" I centered my sword in front of me, aimed at the thousand-year-old unsent murderer of my friend.

"They chose to die," she began, her voice unsympathetic, "because they had hope."

I yelled and charged at her, my blood boiling with loathing. I leapt into the air, intending to pierce her chest with the blade, but she raised her arm and deflected me with a single spark of a spell. The jolt shot through my body and sent me flying backwards, and I eventually crashed down onto the cold stone platform.

I laid still as she walked off and faded away, my consciousness failing me as the room faded in and out of darkness. Finally, I mustered the strength to pick myself up off the ground, and took stock of my injuries.

My right eye hurt too much to open. I touched it gingerly, wincing as a mere graze of my fingertips made it burn. I yanked my hand away and looked at it with my good eye, seeing a fair amount of red on it. I wiped it off on my pants, wincing again as more pain shot through me. It was then that I felt the gash that ran down my abdomen, all the way to the bottom of my hip, the blood from it beginning to soak through my shirt and onto my cloak. I limped over to my katana, which had landed several yards away from me, the blade stuck in the mossy crevasse between two of the jagged stones of the platform. I leaned on it momentarily, gasping for breath, before pulling it from the ground with a fair amount of effort. I sheathed it with some difficulty, and dragged myself from the room.

Stumbling, I left Zanarkand and crawled—_clawed_—my way down Mount Gagazet, the cold wind and snow stinging my face and eyes until the chill eventually numbed them. Against the snow I could more easily see the trail of blood I was leaving behind, and I soon began to feel lightheaded.

I stopped crawling at the bottom of Gagazet, struggling to retain my consciousness, my promises to Braska and Jecht now ringing through my head. My ears began to ring, and I inhaled deeply, the cold air stinging my already aching lungs. Although muffled, I heard, from next to me, footsteps in the snow. I figured it was a fiend, coming to end my life.

"Guardian hurt," a deep voice said from above me. I managed to crane my neck up, and found myself looking at the sapphire face of the Ronso Alex and I had met six years ago. He was much taller now, and stronger—he had become an adult Ronso.

"It's… you," I managed.

"Kimahri help guardian," he said. "Take guardian to help."

He leaned over and picked me up, carrying me in his arms across the remaining snow and into the Calm Lands. I couldn't tell him that I felt my life slipping away by the second, but there was one thing I had to voice.

"Pl… please…" I began.

"Guardian not talk," he said firmly. "Preserve strength."

I tried again to speak, but air alone passed over my lips. Finally I gave up, hoping that I might have enough energy to speak by the time we got to wherever we were going.

After a few minutes, we ended up at the rest station in the middle of the Calm Lands. Kimahri said something to one of the attendants that I could not quite make out, and she rushed to set up a makeshift bed for me. Kimahri then laid me on top of the covers as the attendant made a call via a sphere.

"Guardian will be okay now," he said. "Medicine will heal."

"Kimahri!" I managed, fighting to produce every syllable. "I must… ask a favor of you."

"What guardian need?"

"There is… a girl… in Bevelle. Her name… is Yuna," I panted. "Find her… and take her as… as far away from Bevelle as you can. To Besaid Island. Tell her… it was the wish of… a man facing death."

Kimahri nodded. "Guardian can count on Kimahri." He turned, crouched down on all fours, and darted off in some direction; my sight was too blurry by then to see which one.

:::

"Hello?" I heard a voice ask. I realized that I must have drifted off, and I opened my eyes. My sight was still blurry, obscuring the face before me. I blinked a few times, which helped a little.

"Mmm?" I replied, attempting to sit up. I felt resistance, both from my wound and from what felt like some kind of wrap around my middle.

"Do not attempt to get up," the voice said. "You are safe here. You were injured quite badly," he continued in his accent. "May I ask your name, sir?"

"Auron," I replied in a raspy whisper.

"Auron?" he asked. "Sir Auron, guardian of High Summoner Braska?"

"Yes."

"Well, Sir Auron, I think it would be best if you rested here for a while," he replied. "My name is Rin. _Hela du saad oui._"

"_Hela du saad oui duu,_" I said softly, closing my eyes again. I listened to him leave the room, knowing that it was unlikely he would see me alive again. The last wisps of life were slipping through my fingers like smoke.

_Jecht,_ I thought. _I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise to you. I'm sorry…_

"I'm sorry."


	10. Chapter 10

I suddenly found myself surrounded by pyreflies and floating above Spira, making my way back over Macalania Woods, the Thunder Plains, and finally reaching Guadosalam. I was going to the Farplane.

Just outside the barrier between Spira and the Farplane, I was stopped. I looked around me, wondering what could be blocking my path, and then stepped back in shock. Through the barrier, in a familiar purple dress and white cloak, walked my wife.

"A… Alex?" I asked.

"Hello, Auron," she said, smiling. "It is good to see you again."

I nodded and stepped closer to her, closing the gap between us. "You're every bit as beautiful as I remember." I caressed her cheek with my hand.

She placed her hand on top of mine. "As are you, my love," she said softly.

"Are you here to take me in?" I asked. "To spend the rest of eternity with you?"

She lowered my hand and shook her head. "No, Auron. I'm here to tell you that it's not yet your time."

"Not yet my time?" I asked.

"No," she repeated. "You still have tasks to complete in the realm of the living, Auron. Promises to keep, people to protect."

"I've protected enough," I protested. "The only people I want to protect from now on are you and Paine. How is she?"

Alex smiled again. "She's not here, Auron."

I shot her a confused look. "Not here?"

"She must not have died in the Sin attack," she said excitedly. "Auron, our daughter _lives._ If for no other reason, go back so eventually you can look for her."

"Eventually? What would I do first?"

"If she is still alive, it means she has found caretakers," Alex explained. "They must be treating her well, otherwise she would be here. There is a boy, however, whose only remaining parent's life force is quickly fading."

"Who?"

"He lives in Zanarkand."

"Jecht's boy?" I asked. "But… how should I get to Zanarkand?"

"First, you must return to your body," she said. "You will heal quickly, and in fact, you'll be stronger. Then, you must go to the sea northwest of the Calm Lands. You'll see where to go after that."

"But then I have to leave you," I whispered.

"Nothing you haven't done before," she shrugged.

"But I love you."

"I love you too, Auron," she said. "But it must be done."

"But I don't want to!" I protested. I pulled her close to me. "I just want to stay here, with you."

"I know," she said, wrapping her arms around me. "I want you to, too. I wish you could."

"Why not?"

"You know as well as I do."

I did. I just did not want to admit it. I had not held her in over six years, and nothing had changed; she was still just as warm, she was still just as beautiful… she even smelled the same. I did not know how I was going to be able to leave her again.

"Come with me to the Calm Lands," I begged. "Please."

"My place is here," she said. "I'm sorry, but I cannot leave it."

"I have to do this without you?"

"I'm always with you, Auron," she said, finally breaking our embrace. Tears were running down her cheeks, and I could feel them slipping down mine, too.

"I know," I said. "It's just… so hard sometimes."

She nodded in understanding, and wiped the tears from my cheeks before brushing her wet fingertips across my lips. "It is for me too," she whispered. "I miss you all the time. You and Paine, and Braska and Yuna too."

"I miss you too," I assured her.

She lowered her hand to my chest. "You'd better get going. The sun is setting."

I leaned into her and kissed her with all the emotion I'd been feeling for the past six years. I wanted to tell her—to _show_ her—how much I loved her, because I did not know when I might get another chance to. I held her close, and I never wanted to let her go.

Finally she pulled away from me, only to have me kiss her again.

"Auron," she tried.

"No…" I replied. I broke our kiss, but kept her close. "I can't—"

"You can," she said. "You're strong enough."

"Just a little longer?"

"We're always going to want just a little longer," she said. "Think of it like this: the sooner you get going, the sooner you can come back."

"All right," I relented. "But that'd better be very, _very_ soon."

She smiled sadly. "I love you, Auron."

"I love you too, Alex. Always." I kissed her one last time before finding myself suddenly back inside the Travel Agency. I quietly got up, not feeling the pain of my wounds any longer, save for my eye, grabbed my bag, and slipped unnoticed out the front door.

"The northwest sea," I murmured, looking around the vacant plains in the steadily diminishing evening light. I began to run northwest, still thinking about my encounter with my wife. Leaving her a second time… I felt my heart breaking all over again.

I reached the edge of the land, where only a few inches in front of me, the grass became a near vertical cliff that dropped down to the cold water below.

_Well, _now _what?_ I wondered.

As if it could read my mind, a creature appeared before me. It felt somehow soothing, despite its appearance: large hands with metallic talons for fingers, strong armor-covered arms, and an otherwise very sharp appearance—literally. It then turned just so, so that I could see its chest. Etched within it was an insignia I had seen before.

"Jecht?" I asked. "_Jecht?_"


End file.
